Monday, March 5, 2012

Will you read carefully? (The devil is in the details)

Some people prefer to listen to the bible rather than read it. Is this wrong? I don't think so. Many Christians through history did not have the written word but instead passed scripture along via word of mouth, or by listening to it from a priest.

When the printing press came along it became easier to have a copy of the text. The advantage of this is accuracy. Instead of the potential for the word to degrade (like in a game of Chinese Whispers) there was a fixed and fair copy to refer to if there was any doubt over the words or meaning.

So what's important is actually detail. Whether we listen to the Word or read the Word, we need to make sure that we are getting an accurate version into us. It doesn't stop there though. Where the details matter most is in how you engage with the text. There is no point in having such a wonderful and perfect copy of the bible coming into your ears or eyes if you don't stop to notice the details of what God has to say to you.

The phrase "The devil is in the details" means that the catch, clause, or part that everything hangs on, is in the finer points. In our case, the Devil can catch us out if we miss the important details. So I urge you to engage your mind as you listen or read. The spiritual person sees the importance of every word of God and will strive to conform their life to every detail.